Chapter 3

A faint, mocking smirk touched my lips as I watched her curl into a tight ball against the leather seat of my Maybach.

Defeated. Bruised. Shivering.

Her wrists were locked in heavy steel links, resting against her chest. The metal clinked with every shuddering breath she took. She kept her face turned toward the dark, rain-streaked window, pretending she could find an escape in the glass, but she knew as well as I did: the cage was already shut.

Inside my chest, Night paced violently, his phantom claws raking against my ribs.

"Mine," the beast snarled, a low, possessive rumble vibrating in my veins. "Take the iron off her. She bleeds. Break the hands of every man who touched her."

Down, I commanded internally, forcing the golden flare behind my pupils into a controlled, smoldering amber. She is already ours.

I leaned back into the shadows of the custom interior, swirling the amber liquor in my glass as the city lights blurred outside.

Two nights ago, my existence had been governed by absolute, cold precision.

The private salon at The Obsidian Lounge had been filled with men who foolishly believed they ruled the city. A handful of arrogant human mobsters sat across from me, while my own Wolf warriors stood guard along the perimeter in dark tailored suits. To the humans, it was just a high-stakes territory negotiation with a reclusive billionaire. Foolish creatures. They honestly believed human syndicates governed this world, completely oblivious to the ancient predators breathing the same air.

They needed a constant reminder of reality: whether in the blood-drenched human Mafia underworld or the savage supernatural hierarchy of the Wolf packs, only one name held absolute dominion.

Alpha King Zayden Blackthorn.

I had been listening to their tedious demands with pure boredom-until the heavy mahogany doors clicked open.

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

The scent hit me first: sweet and sharp, carrying traces of wild vanilla, rain, and fresh earth. Every primal instinct inside me snapped wide awake. Night raised his head, letting out a soundless howl of pure recognition.

I looked up.

She was petite, fragile, and entirely human. She wore a simple black waitress uniform, her dark hair pinned back, carrying a silver tray with a delicate grace that had no place in a den of ruthless killers. She was innocent. Weak.

And she was utterly terrified.

Because of my Alpha blood, the chaotic flood of her racing thoughts filtered straight into my mind like a clear broadcast.

Just stay calm. Don't look at his eyes. You can do this.

Her pulse was thumping like the frantic heartbeat of a trapped bird. When she reached the head of the table to pour my bourbon, her hands trembled so hard the neck of the crystal decanter rattled against the rim of my glass.

A dark amusement curled in my chest. I fixed my eyes onto hers and answered the panic in her head:

"Nothing here is going to be alright, little bird."

Her ocean-blue eyes flared with shock, wide and breathtaking, before she quickly pulled back.

Across the table, Luca Romano-the lecherous, arrogant son of rival boss Victor Romano-leaned back, watching her hips with open disgust.

"Damn, Blackthorn," Luca sneered, running his tongue over his teeth. "Forget the territory cut. Send that little piece of ass to my room for the night, and we've got a deal. I'll make sure she learns how to serve properly."

A murderous wave of heat surged up my spine. Night roared inside my skull, ready to rip Luca's throat out across the table and tear the room apart.

Serena, however, kept her chin lifted. "I am here to serve drinks, sir, not entertain guests," she replied, her voice cold and steady despite the tremble in her fingers. She bowed stiffly and turned, exiting the chamber.

I knew scum like Luca. A rejection from an ordinary waitress would only make him hunt her down.

The moment the door closed behind her, I subtly signaled Adrian.

The greatest privilege of ruling the global underworld is that no corner remains dark. Within ten minutes, her complete dossier appeared on my encrypted phone: Serena Morgan. Twenty-two. University student. Daughter of a broke mechanic. Working graveyard shifts to pay her own tuition. Pure. Untouched.

And suddenly, the center of my entire focus.

Night was scratching at the surface, desperate to break through. "She is in danger! The stench of rot is following her!"

I held back the transformation and stepped into the damp alley behind the lounge just as Luca and three of his men trapped her against the brick wall.

I watched from the shadows, fully expecting the human girl to beg. Instead, she fought like a cornered wildcat-blinding one with pepper spray, cracking another's knee, and smashing her heavy bag right into a third man's nose before Luca grabbed her by the hair and slapped her across the face.

The sharp crack of his palm against her skin shattered my restraint.

I drew my silenced weapon and stepped out of the dark.

One clean bullet through Luca Romano's skull. Three more into his men before they could even draw their guns.

Fresh blood pooled on the asphalt. I lowered the barrel and took a step toward her, intending to bring her into my care, away from the blood feud that Luca's death would inevitably ignite.

"Serena-" I began.

She looked at the corpses, looked at the gun in my hand, let out a terrified scream, and sprinted into the rain.

I hadn't chased her. I had simply watched her run, a dark, breathless chuckle escaping my throat.

She ran.

No one ran from me. Powerful Alphas knelt in my presence; billionaire mobsters begged for mercy; women threw themselves into my path. Yet this tiny, fragile human had looked at me and run for her life.

She made herself my obsession.

When Victor Romano's underground scouts intercepted her two days later and put her on an auction block to sell her off as revenge, they didn't realize they were playing with fire.

I let the bids climb, listening to the pocket change being tossed around, until that fat pig in the front row opened his mouth to insult her.

Ten million dollars silenced the entire hall in a single breath.

Now, sitting across from her in the vehicle, I set my glass down. The smell of her dried blood was driving Night wild, but my human mind savored the absolute victory of this moment.

"You ran once," I murmured, leaning forward so the amber glow of my eyes cut through the shadows, holding her trapped in place. "Look at me, Serena."

She flinched at the sound of her name. Slowly, she turned her bruised, tear-stained face toward me. There was terror in her eyes, but underneath it, a fierce spark of defiance still burned.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered, her voice shaking as she lifted her chained hands toward me. "You killed those men... and now you buy me like an animal? Who are you? Just let me go back to my family!"

The corner of my mouth tilted upward. I reached out, my gloved fingers catching her chin and tilting it upward, forcing her to hold my gaze.

"Your family can't protect you from the war that started the night you witnessed Luca's death," I said softly, my voice smooth and lethal. "And you don't belong to the streets anymore, little bird."

"I am not your property!" she choked out, trying to pull her chin from my grasp, the chains rattling furiously between us. "I don't care how much money you threw at that stage! I want to go home!"

"You have no home out there anymore," I replied, my grip firm, unyielding, yet carefully controlled so as not to bruise her further. "From the moment you caught my eye, your fate was sealed. You won't run again."